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Fission Surface Power Project (FSP) TDM Annual Review
This is a power point document to be presented at NASA HQ on March 3, 2022 for the Technology Demonstration Mission program and the management of STMD. It summarizes the activities over the last year of the Fission Surface Power (FSP) project. FSP is a project with the main goal of developing a nuclear reactor for operation on the Moon.
Overview of NASA's Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project
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Preliminary designs for 25 kWe advanced Stirling conversion systems for dish electric applications
Under the Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar Thermal Technology Program, Sandia National Laboratories is evaluating heat engines for terrestrial Solar Distributed Heat Receivers. The Stirling engine has been identified by Sandia as one of the most promising engines for terrestrial applications. The Stirling engine also has the potential to meet DOE's performance and cost goals. The NASA Lewis Research Center is conducting Stirling engine technology development activities directed toward a dynamic power source for space applications. Space power systems requirements include high reliability, very long life, low vibration and high efficiency. The free-piston Stirling engine has the potential for future high power space conversion systems, either nuclear or solar powered. Although both applications appear to be quite different, their requirements complement each other. Preliminary designs feature a free-piston Stirling engine, a liquid metal heat transport system, and a means to provide nominally 25 kW electric power to a utility grid while meeting DOE's performance and long term cost goals. The Cummins design incorporates a linear alternator to provide the electrical output, while the STC design generates electrical power indirectly through a hydraulic pump/motor coupled to an induction generator. Both designs for the ASCS's will use technology which can reasonably be expected to be available in the early 1990's
Status of the advanced Stirling conversion system project for 25 kW dish Stirling applications
Heat engines were evaluated for terrestrial Solar Distributed Heat Receivers. The Stirling engine was identified as one of the most promising heat engines for terrestrial applications. Technology development is also conducted for Stirling convertors directed toward a dynamic power source for space applications. Space power requirements include high reliability with very long life, low vibration, and high system efficiency. The free-piston Stirling engine has the potential for future high power space conversion systems, either nuclear or solar powered. Although both applications appear to be quite different, their requirements complement each other.
Preliminary designs for 25 kWe advanced Stirling conversion systems for dish electric applications
Under the Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar Thermal Technology Program, Sandia National Laboratories is evaluating heat engines for terrestrial Solar Distributed Heat Receivers. The Stirling engine has been identified by Sandia as one of the most promising engines for terrestrial applications. The Stirling engine also has the potential to meet DOE's performance and cost goals. The NASA Lewis Research Center is conducting Stirling engine technology development activities directed toward a dynamic power source for space applications. Space power systems requirements include high reliability, very long life, low vibration and high efficiency. The free-piston Stirling engine has the potential for future high power space conversion systems, either nuclear or solar powered. Although both applications appear to be quite different, their requirements complement each other. Preliminary designs feature a free-piston Stirling engine, a liquid metal heat transport system, and a means to provide nominally 25 kW electric power to a utility grid while meeting DOE's performance and long term cost goals. The Cummins design incorporates a linear alternator to provide the electrical output, while the STC design generates electrical power indirectly through a hydraulic pump/motor coupled to an induction generator. Both designs for the ASCS's will use technology which can reasonably be expected to be available in the early 1990's.
Brayton Power Conversion System Parametric Design Modelling for Nuclear Electric Propulsion
The parametrically based closed Brayton cycle (CBC) computer design model was developed for inclusion into the NASA LeRC overall Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) end-to-end systems model. The code is intended to provide greater depth to the NEP system modeling which is required to more accurately predict the impact of specific technology on system performance. The CBC model is parametrically based to allow for conducting detailed optimization studies and to provide for easy integration into an overall optimizer driver routine. The power conversion model includes the modeling of the turbines, alternators, compressors, ducting, and heat exchangers (hot-side heat exchanger and recuperator). The code predicts performance to significant detail. The system characteristics determined include estimates of mass, efficiency, and the characteristic dimensions of the major power conversion system components. These characteristics are parametrically modeled as a function of input parameters such as the aerodynamic configuration (axial or radial), turbine inlet temperature, cycle temperature ratio, power level, lifetime, materials, and redundancy.
Optimize out-of-core thermionic energy conversion for nuclear electric propulsion
Current designs for out of core thermionic energy conversion (TEC) to power nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) were evaluated. Approaches to improve out of core TEC are emphasized and probabilities for success are indicated. TEC gains are available with higher emitter temperatures and greater power densities. Good potentialities for accommodating external high temperature, high power density TEC with heat pipe cooled reactors exist.
Space power technologies
Information is given in viewgraph form on space power technologies. Energy conversion, the role of nuclear power in space, lunar and Mars bases, and the Pathfinder program are covered.
Gas Turbine Energy Conversion Systems for Lunar and Planetary Nuclear Power Plants Including Ground Based Applications Using LiFTR "Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor" Technology
The background and motivation for this presentation is the Advanced Nuclear Power named in Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Gen IV Nuclear Systems Initiative), Thorium Energy Independence & Security Act of 2008 (S.3680), Gen IV Candidate Advanced Nuclear Power Plants, and high temperature gas turbine power plants offer large thermal efficiency improvement over steam plants.
Feasibility of EB Welded Hastelloy X and Combination of Refractory Metals
As NASA continues to expand its horizon, exploration and discovery creates the need of advancement in technology. The Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter's (JIMO) mission to explore and document the outer surfaces, rate the possibility of holding potential life forms, etc. within the three moons (Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa) proves to be challenging. The orbiter itself consists of many sections including: the nuclear reactor and the power conversion system, the radiator panels, and the thrusters and antenna. The nuclear reactor serves as a power source, and if successfully developed, can operate for extended periods. During the duration of my tenure at NASA Glenn Research Center's (NASA GRC) Advanced Metallics Branch, I was assigned to assist Frank J. Ritzert on analyzing the feasibility of the Electron Beam Welded Hastelloy X (HX), a nickel-based superalloy, to Niobium- 1 %Zirconium (Nb-1 Zr) and other refractory metals/alloys including Tantalum, Molybdenum, Tungsten, and Rhenium alloys. This welding technique is going to be used for the nuclear reactor within JIMO.
Brayton Power Conversion Unit Tested: Provides a Path to Future High-Power Electric Propulsion Missions
Closed-Brayton-cycle conversion technology has been identified as an excellent candidate for nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) power conversion systems. Advantages include high efficiency, long life, and high power density for power levels from about 10 kWe to 1 MWe, and beyond. An additional benefit for Brayton is the potential for the alternator to deliver very high voltage as required by the electric thrusters, minimizing the mass and power losses associated with the power management and distribution (PMAD). To accelerate Brayton technology development for NEP, the NASA Glenn Research Center is developing a low-power NEP power systems testbed that utilizes an existing 2- kWe Brayton power conversion unit (PCU) from previous solar dynamic technology efforts. The PCU includes a turboalternator, a recuperator, and a gas cooler connected by gas ducts. The rotating assembly is supported by gas foil bearings and consists of a turbine, a compressor, a thrust rotor, and an alternator on a single shaft. The alternator produces alternating-current power that is rectified to 120-V direct-current power by the PMAD unit. The NEP power systems testbed will be utilized to conduct future investigations of operational control methods, high-voltage PMAD, electric thruster interactions, and advanced heat rejection techniques. The PCU was tested in Glenn s Vacuum Facility 6. The Brayton PCU was modified from its original solar dynamic configuration by the removal of the heat receiver and retrofitting of the electrical resistance gas heater to simulate the thermal input of a steady-state nuclear source. Then, the Brayton PCU was installed in the 3-m test port of Vacuum Facility 6, as shown. A series of tests were performed between June and August of 2002 that resulted in a total PCU operational time of about 24 hr. An initial test sequence on June 17 determined that the reconfigured unit was fully operational. Ensuing tests provided the operational data needed to characterize PCU performance over its full operating range. The primary test variables used in operating the Brayton PCU were heater input power and rotor speed. Testing demonstrated a maximum steady-state alternating-current power output of 1835 W at a gas heater power of 9000 W and a rotor speed of 52000 rpm. The corresponding measured turbine inlet gas temperature was 1076 K, and the compressor inlet gas temperature was 282 K. When insulation losses from the gas heater were neglected, the Brayton cycle efficiency for the maximum power point was calculated to be 24 percent. The net direct-current power output was 1750 W, indicating a PMAD efficiency of about 95 percent.
A design study for a magnetohydrodynamic power system for a nuclear electric propelled unmanned spacecraft Quarterly progress report, 26 May - 25 Sep. 1969
Design calculations for magnetohydrodynamic power conversion system for nuclear electric propelled unmanned spacecraft
Static conversion systems
Historically, all space power systems that have actually flown in space have relied on static energy conversion technology. Thus, static conversion is being considered for space nuclear power systems as well. There are four potential static conversion technologies which should be considered. These include: the alkali metal thermoelectric converter (AMTEC), the thermionic converter, the thermoelectric converter, and the thermophotovoltaic converter (TPV). These four conversion technologies will be described in brief detail along with their current status and development needs. In addition, the systems implications of using each of these conversion technologies with a space nuclear reactor power system will be evaluated and some comparisons made.
Strategy for Developing Technologies for Megawatt-class Nuclear Electric Propulsion Systems
In late fiscal year 2020, the Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) project began the process of formulating an investment strategy to support development of the technologies required for a high-power (megawatt-class) nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) system capable of performing human-scale missions. This activity was initiated concurrent with several high-level studies and assessments were either under way or had just concluded. Studies of human-scale Mars missions have been performed several times over the past two decades. One of the most recent studies examined opposition-class human Mars missions to occur in the late 2030s timeframe [1,2]. The mission architecture assumed a hybrid NEP/chem-propelled vehicle that used a high specific impulse (Isp) NEP-system and a liquid oxygen (LOx)-liquid methane high thrust chemical stage (two 110 kN (25 klbf) thrust, 365 s Isp engines) for maneuvers performed to enter and exit gravity wells. Trajectory analyses performed in this study showed that such a mission could be performed with 2-4 MWe directed into the electric propulsion system (operating for 20,000+ hours), with the large range representing different opposition-class Mars mission opportunities and permutations on the trajectory design, concept of operations, and technology choices. In 2020, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) performed a study to evaluate the maturity of the different technologies required for nuclear propulsion systems [3]. The executive summary of this report provided the following top-level conclusions: • “The majority of critical technologies for… NEP/Chem… systems are relatively immature” • “TRLs [technology readiness levels] in the literature are often overestimated” • “The majority of critical technologies… for NEP/Chem… systems are at a relatively high level of advancement degree of difficulty (AD2 > 4) for maturation, requiring a dual development approach” • “The proper assessment of baseline TRL and AD2 values and the estimation of requirements and resources required for advancement have been consistent issues for NEP,” • “Non-advocate reviews should occur at the start of a technology program and at all key milestones.” In 2021, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) issued a separate report [4] identifying the “primary technical and programmatic challenges, merits, and risks for maturing space nuclear propulsion technologies of interest to a future human Mars exploration mission.” That work contained several important findings, including: • “Developing a MWe-class NEP system for the baseline mission would require increasing power by orders of magnitude relative to NEP system flight- or ground-based technology demonstrations completed to date.” • “Subscale in-space flight testing of NEP systems cannot address many of the risks and potential failure modes associated with the baseline mission NEP system. With sufficient M&S [modeling & simulation] and ground testing, including modular subsystem tests at full scale and power, flight qualification requirements can be met by the cargo missions that will precede the first crewed mission to Mars. Fully integrated ground testing may not be required.” • “As a result of low and intermittent investment over the past several decades, it is unclear if even an aggressive program would be able to develop an NEP system capable of executing the baseline mission in 2039.” These efforts motivated the SNP project to investigate the technologies available for a megawatt-class high power nuclear electric propulsion system. That system is illustrated schematically in Figure 1 and is comprised of five separate top-level critical technology elements (CTEs). 1. Nuclear Reactor – Thermal power source for the system, utilizing high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) as the nuclear fuel. Reactor radiation shielding is also included in this CTE. 2. Power Conversion – Operates as a thermodynamic cycle, accepting nuclear reactor thermal power as an input and converting it to mechanical power. 3. Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) – Accepts as an input mechanical power from the power conversion system, which is used to generate electrical power. The PMAD system also distributes the generated electrical power to all other parts of the spacecraft, including the high-power EP system. The PMAD system may also perform duties such as isolation, fault detection, and power transformation/rectification for different spacecraft systems, including the thrusters. 4. Electric Propulsion (EP) – Accepts as an input electrical power, which is used to accelerate a propellant to high speeds to produce thrust. This system includes the power processing unit (PPU), which converts the power it receives to the correct current and voltage required by the thrusters, and the propellant storage and feed systems, which contain and meter the flow of propellant to the thrusters. 5. Thermal Management (Radiators/Heat Rejection) – The cold side of the thermodynamic power conversion cycle, accepts thermal power from the power conversion system and radiatively rejects that heat to space. In this paper, we describe the SNP project formulation and investment strategy that aims to accomplish the research and development required to advance the technology readiness for each CTE. The strategy relies heavily upon experimental testing supported by modeling and simulation to yield realistic assessments of the technologies, which in turn will be used to inform future NEP system-level design decisions and any potential technology downselects.
SP-100 Dynamic Power and Lithium-Propellant MPD Nuclear Electric Propulsion Technology Requirements
The objective of this study was to evaluate the requirements (including system integration, design, test requirements, and schedule) for the propulsion and power conversion systems of a nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) vehicle using an SP-100 reactor with a dynamic power conversion system, Li-propellant magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) thrusters, Li-propellant storage and feed systems, and the power conditioning electronics required to convert the power output from the power system to the form (voltage, current) needed by the thrusters. Potassium-Rankine power conversion systems have the potential for the greatest mission benefit in terms of minimum mass and volume (as compared to Brayton or Stirling power conversion systems), but they require the most development.
Helium heater design for the helium direct cycle component test facility
The paper describes a helium heater to be used to conduct non-nuclear demonstration tests of the complete power conversion loop for a direct-cycle gas-cooled nuclear reactor power plant. Requirements for the heater include: heating the helium to a 1500 F temperature, operating at a 1000 psia helium pressure, providing a thermal response capability and helium volume similar to that of the nuclear reactor, and a total heater system helium pressure drop of not more than 15 psi. The unique compact heater system design proposed consists of 18 heater modules; air preheaters, compressors, and compressor drive systems; an integral control system; piping; and auxiliary equipment. The heater modules incorporate the dual-concentric-tube 'Variflux' heat exchanger design which provides a controlled heat flux along the entire length of the tube element. The heater design as proposed will meet all system requirements. The heater uses pressurized combustion (50 psia) to provide intensive heat transfer, and to minimize furnace volume and heat storage mass.
The 20 kWe NEP flight system
A low-power, near-term nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) system was proposed as a useful interim system for near-term space exploration. Although the ultimate goal of a 100 kWe class, low specific mass for planetary exploration remains, application of the technologies that are currently mature to earlier missions of interest has grown at the higher levels of NASA. In response to this interest, a study of low-power system and mission options was initiated, with the Nuclear Propulsion Office serving to coordinate system activities. A nominal 20 kWe system using Brayton power conversion was selected by the joint NASA/DOE Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion team; however, other power levels and system options will be considered. NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications has expressed interest in exploiting NEP's mission capabilities, both in the near-term and for more difficult, later missions. Technologies considered mature for this type of system are the SP-100 reactor, Brayton dynamic power conversion, and 30 cm ion thrusters, all of which have extensive ground demonstration backgrounds.